Podcasts

Suppose you meet someone for the first time, and you think to yourself, "I've met them before." Are there standard personality categories into which everyone fits, more or less? Have you ever applied for a job, only to be met with some questionnaire about whether you prefer going to a party or hunkering down with a movie."

You might have taken the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator test or some other personality test trying to tease out who you really are, what you might be like to work with or whether or not you'd even be suited for a particular job at all. But is it even worth it? If you're hiring for a position and you have several candidates with identical qualifications, do you test each of them for "personality" and select the one listed to be most successful or satisfied in the role?

So, where does the personality test come from, who uses it, how and why? Is there anything substantial to it? We dive into these issues and look at a handful of tests to get to the root of popular personality testing. Thanks to Ange B for suggesting this topic. Thanks to everyone who chimed in on Jaz and my personalities.

And join us on the podcast next time when we look into fluoridation of drinking water. Thanks to Annika N for this one.